


You're Not Alone

by Annavanpie



Category: Persona 4, Persona 5, Persona Series
Genre: Gen, Persona 5 Protagonist is from Inaba, Yu was the one who talked Sojiro into taking him in, also Rise is Akira's honorary big sister, might need some tissues tbh, right after okumura, so spoilers for p5 vanilla lol, there's sad parts in this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-08
Updated: 2020-11-08
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:55:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27443734
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Annavanpie/pseuds/Annavanpie
Summary: Yu Narukami decides to go out for a beef bowl and runs into a familiar face
Relationships: Kurusu Akira & Narukami Yu
Comments: 15
Kudos: 129





	You're Not Alone

All things considered, University was really not all that bad in Tokyo.

Yu was able to keep up with his studies easily, and wound up having plenty of free time. Much of that time he spent helping out Naoto with their work as a private investigator, and any other time he spent wandering the streets of Shibuya or Akihabara or Inokashira Park. He preferred being out in public; it was always a pleasant experience meeting people, having idle chat, or taking in the fresh air outside of his stuffy apartment.

Lately, though, he had been slacking a bit too much on his studies. News of the Phantom Thieves and the mystery surrounding them had completely consumed his thoughts, leaving him unable to focus on much else. Every day they seemed to gain more and more power - taking down stronger and stronger opponents with seemingly little connection to one another. How were they able to “steal hearts,” as they called it? How did they convince these extremely dangerous individuals to completely turn from their wicked ways and confess to every one of their crimes? Yu didn’t like how unnatural it all felt - it reminded him all too much of the TV World, forcing you to face and accept the worst parts of yourself, the parts that you hid from everyone else. It was unnerving, the idea that someone could force another to go through an experience like that.

But Yu had the tendency to jump to the supernatural as his conclusion to far too many mysteries, as Naoto had often pointed out to him. It would be ridiculous to assume every unknown factor in the world could be traced to Personas.

And, a part of him wanted to support the Phantom Thieves. They were like superheroes - vigilantes of justice that sought to take down the corrupt and improve society for those who couldn’t do it themselves. But another part of him knew how dangerous that way of thinking could be. Sure, not every person in power was exactly righteous - Yu knew that well enough. But to place that judgement into the hands of a group of unknown individuals with unknown motives? They could be capable of any number of things.

And now that Okumura was dead, dying directly after being forced to confess through whatever power the Phantom Thieves possessed, all of the signs were pointing to them being the culprits. And Yu was more determined than ever to find out the truth behind this mysterious organization. The police hadn’t asked for Naoto’s assistance on this particular case - seemed like that Akechi guy had the Detective Prince role filled - but that didn’t mean they weren’t interested as well. And Yu had been right alongside their investigation. Mental shutdowns, psychotic breakdowns, sudden changes of hearts? Who could think about something as simple as  _ studying  _ at a time like this?

But Naoto had noticed, somehow, how much time Yu was investing in  _ not  _ working on school. And they promptly sent him home to do some catching up. He had wanted to refuse them, but he knew they were right. Investigation was a hobby for Yu, not a full-time job. Yet. The Phantom Thieves would have to wait.

So, Yu had paid heed to Naoto’s advice, and that’s what he had been doing all day. Studying, studying, and more studying. His brain was exhausted. And his stomach was crying out for satisfaction.

All he wanted to do was leave his desk, go outside, and eat the biggest beef bowl in Tokyo his University Student income could buy.

And that’s what he did. There was a beef bowl shop right on Central Street in Shibuya, which wasn’t too far from his apartment. They were always incredibly packed, though, so Yu had to decide if suffering a little while longer to get the beef bowl he craved was worth it. Or he could go to Big Bang Burger. The thought made him nauseous. Waiting it out would have to do.

Thankfully, he managed to snag a seat relatively quickly. He practically drooled over the menu, he stomach screaming out in distress. So many options…

“What’ll it be?” An out-of-breath voice asked. It was deep and familiar, causing Yu to look up in surprise and nearly topple out of his chair altogether. The boy in front of him was an older teenager, average height, with black, messy-yet-in-an-almost-planned-out-fashion hair. On his nose sat a pair of wide-rimmed hipster glasses, which Yu knew for a fact were not there to be functional in the slightest. He wasn’t looking at Yu, but instead had his attention completely focused on the small notepad held in front of him.

“Akira-kun!” Yu exclaimed, probably too loudly to be appropriate in the public restaurant, but he couldn’t help it. 

As soon as Yu said that, Akira looked up from his notepad, startled. He blinked a couple times in shock before responding in an equally surprised manner, “Yu-senpai!”

Yu did another double-take. He would never get used to how deep Akira’s voice had gotten. The boy was standing tall behind the counter, fully dressed in a bright blue uniform, including a dark blue cap atop his head. He still had his pen at the ready on his notepad. “You work here?” Yu asked, dumbfounded.

Akira nodded. Someone called out from the other side of the counter in a gruff, annoyed voice. Akira quickly turned his head and responded to the man with a nod before facing Yu once more, “Sorry, I can’t really talk right now… we’re really busy. But, my shift’s almost over if you want to chat afterwards?” he offered. Yu was about to accept when the same man called out again, more harshly this time. Akira rushed to help him, and Yu grinned. Akira really was a hard worker, wasn’t he? It was a strange sight, seeing him move around like this. No wonder Yosuke was so upset to lose him at Junes.

It was then that Yu realized he still hadn’t ordered. “Hey, uh, I’ll take a large beef bowl, Akira!”

~~~

Yu ended up taking his order to go. He waited for Akira to finish up his shift and speak to his manager before meeting him by the entrance of the beef bowl shop. He had changed back into his regular school uniform, carrying a large black bag at his side. He gave Yu a soft smile, which Yu gladly returned. They began walking together down the streets of Shibuya, passing by the stores and people casually conversing together as the sun began lowering itself in the sky.

Seeing him up close like this, and not rushing around a crowded restaurant at the speed of a jackrabbit, Yu noticed that Akira still seemed a bit… jumpy. He kept shifting his gaze, looking behind his back, fiddling around with the strap of his bag… Yu noticed those kinds of things. He wondered if Akira was having trouble adjusting to Tokyo, and thought about questioning him on the subject. He shrugged it off. Akira had been here for months, after all, and in all that time he never called Yu to ask for help or guidance. If he had wanted Yu butting in, he would have asked. 

There was also something else, though. Something was different about Akira from the last time they had talked. Something had changed. He couldn’t quite place his finger on what it was, though. Just… a feeling. Like Akira’s aura had been altered. It was almost like… something had awoken inside him.

_ I am thou, thou art I… _

Yu snorted at the thought. Akira gave him a questioning look, and Yu waved it away. “So,” he said, “The beef bowl shop, huh? What, Sojiro not giving you enough allowance?”

Akira shrugged, his smile returning, “I like to keep busy,” he said simply. He shifted his bag on his shoulder.

“Oh? Can’t you do that by studying? Don’t you have exams coming up?” Yu asked. Sure, he was a hypocrite, but Akira didn’t need to know that. The boy began to relax a bit more as they strolled together, easily weaving through the crowds of people. This was more of what Yu was hoping for. A far cry from his first day in Tokyo, where the two were able to ride in together from Inaba. Maybe he was getting used to it, after all.

Akira hummed a response, “I don’t think studying would do me much good at this point,” he confessed, “Besides, they asked me to come in. The place is always understaffed, and I wanted to take my mind off… things.”

“...Things?” Yu questioned.

“...Yeah,” Akira responded awkwardly. His eyes shifted towards his feet, shoulders stiffening once again. His smile became much more forced. Yu gave him a worried look. Something was definitely up, but if it wasn’t the town, then, what was it? Yu wondered if perhaps the kids in his class were giving him a hard time; if they had found out about his criminal record, or if he was having trouble making friends. Or maybe he was just missing home.

Regardless, Yu didn’t press the issue. Clearly Akira didn’t want to talk about it. So, Yu changed tactics, “Let’s go sit somewhere,” he suggested, holding up his to-go bag, “It would be hard to eat this walking down the street, as hungry as I am,” as if on cue, his stomach rumbled.

Akira laughed, immediately relaxing, and grateful for the subject being dropped. The two of them made their way towards Yoyogi Park. Akira hadn’t been there before, surprisingly, so the two found a bench and took in the sights as the sky began turning orange with the shifting sun. Yu brought out his beef bowl and breathed in the delectable scent before he began wolfing it down lustfully.

Akira set his bag down on his far side, and immediately it began squirming. Yu stopped eating mid-bite to see a tiny black and white head pop out and meow loudly. Yu nearly choked on his beef, coughing loudly and exclaiming in surprise, “Was that in there the whole time?!”

Akira rolled his eyes, “Yeah, he wants your food,” the cat meowed in protest as Akira attempted to shove him good-naturedly back into the bag. “I didn’t get you any, so you can stop complaining,” Akira said to it. It meowed furiously, fighting against him.

Yu chuckled, “Well, I don’t mind,” he said. He pulled some beef out of his bowl and held it towards the cat. Its meow was almost smug-sounding as Akira gave up and let it pull itself out of the bag. It hopped over Akira’s legs towards the treat and greedily accepted it before sitting neatly between them on the bench.

“You shouldn’t feed strays, Yu-senpai,” Akira said with a smirk.

The cat growled at Akira, its indignant yowl sounding like a retort. It focused back on Yu, licking Yu’s fingers and rubbing its head against his palm.

Yu scratched its cheek, and it leaned into his touch. “You’re a pretty thing, aren’t you?” he cooed.

The cat purred back at him and Akira snorted, crossing his arms, “Don’t give him a bigger head than he’s already got.”

The cat meowed in defiance, and Yu laughed in return. “He’s rather talkative,” he remarked.

“You have no idea.”

Suddenly a thought struck Yu, “Wait a minute, did you have him in the beef bowl shop?” he gave his meal a wary look, “Isn’t that a bit… unsanitary?”

The cat yowled angrily at Yu, and he quickly moved his hands out of biting reach.

Akira shook his head, “He’s fine, he stays in the bag. Or wanders off, it’s no big deal,” he insisted, though Yu wasn’t exactly convinced. The cat huffed, puffing out its chest in defiance. Akira glared at it, “Oh, why don’t you go bother someone else?” he said to the thing. It sneered at him before hopping off the bench and padding deeper into the park, sliding in between a patch of bushes and disappearing into the ever-growing shadows of approaching twilight. Yu watched it go in bewilderment. What a strange cat.

He gave Akira a smirk, “That’s just like you, you know,” he said, causing Akira to huff. Just like the cat. “When did you get him, anyway? What’s his name?”

“Morgana,” Akira said, shrugging, “And it wasn’t exactly my choice. He forced his way into my life.”

“Sure he did,” Yu said sarcastically, “So, how have you been? I haven’t seen you all year. How come you never called?”

Akira looked down at his feet, contemplating, “I’m sorry, I guess I’ve just been busy. Besides, I didn’t want to bother you or anything, I know you’ve probably got better things to do than talk to me.”

Yu silently cursed himself for not calling Akira himself. He should’ve known the boy was trying to keep to himself, to not take up anyone’s time. To stay as hidden as possible. Yu had just figured Akira would call him when he got the chance, and didn’t think much about it beyond that.

Well, now was as good a time as any to make up for that. “Not a bother at all,” Yu said, “In fact, I’d love to hear how Tokyo’s treating you. Are you able to find your way around okay? I assume you were able to make it to Sojiro’s place okay on your own, unless you’ve been living in the train station for the past several months.”

Akira laughed, “Yeah, I found it fine. Though, it did take me a bit, at first…” he rubbed the back of his neck, “Shibuya Station’s still confusing, though.”

Yu chuckled, “Well, that never changes, I’m afraid. That place is a maze.”

Akira nodded violently, “It is!” he exclaimed, “Ann keeps getting mad at me for being late whenever she wants to meet at the mall, but it’s not my fault! It’s that station! I can never find the underground entrance. But she never believes me!”

Yu raised an eyebrow, “Ann?”

“Oh, uh, friend of mine,” Akira explained.

Yu’s smile grew, “Ah, so you are making friends!” he said excitedly.

Akira gave him a skeptical look, “Did you think I would be alone for a year?”

“Not at all,” Yu objected, “Sure, you can be quiet at times, but you were bound to catch attention at some point. You’re too dramatic not to. Like Rise.”

“Uh… thanks?” Akira blushed slightly with embarrassment.

Yu laughed, putting a hand on Akira’s shoulder, “I’m just messing with you. I am glad, though. Who knows? The friends you make now could be the ones that stick with you for life.”

Akira rolled his eyes, shrugging off Yu’s hand, “And you call me dramatic,” he said, “But… I hope you’re right,” he added. It sounded… extremely earnest. Like there was nothing he wanted more. It warmed Yu’s heart to hear.

So of course he needed to tease his young friend a bit more, “I do have to ask, though, for Rise’s sake - meet anyone  _ special  _ while you’ve been here?”

Akira immediately groaned, throwing his head back against the bench, “I knew this would come up eventually. You know, if I answer that Rise-senpai’s never going to let it go.”

“Oh, so there  _ is  _ someone!” Yu laughed.

Akira gave Yu a good-hearted glare. A soft smile rested on his face, and he looked away from Yu towards the grass lining the ground. “...Maybe,” he offered, cheeks turning red once again.

Yu grinned, “I knew it. Careful now. You might fall in love, and then you’ll never be able to leave.”

Akira waved an arm, his face burning even brighter, “I don’t know about that,” he said. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, looking out into the distance. The light of the setting sun reflected off his glasses, hiding his eyes. He had a soft smile on his face, “I do really like it here, though. If nothing else, it’d be nice to live here permanently, someday,” his smile fell away, quietly adding, “If I get the chance to, at least.”

“Yeah?” Yu asked, his tone softening to match Akira’s, “I don’t know. I’d take a small town like Inaba over the big city any day,” he shut his eyes, leaning back into the bench, crossing his arms across his chest. Even now, sitting in the middle of a park as the sun was continuously setting - he could hear the distant sounds of car horns honking and advertisements sounding off.

“Really? So why  _ do  _ you live here, then?” Akira asked.

Yu shrugged, sighing, “School, mostly. It’s not as though there are many universities in Inaba. And,” he added, sitting up, “I do still have friends here, even if most of them are out of town,” he looked at his abandoned beef bowl, debating taking another bite. He spoke in a mock-somber tone, “They don’t make beef bowls here like they do in Inaba, that’s for sure.”

Akira scoffed, “I made that beef bowl, you know!” he said. Yu laughed. Akira shook his head defiantly, “Besides, I’ll take a burger over a beef bowl any day. And there's, like, fifty burger places within twenty minutes from each other. Tokyo’s amazing. I never knew a place could be so…  _ big.  _ I hope I have the chance to see it all…” he trailed off wistfully, his tone bittersweet.

“Well, there’s still time,” Yu said encouragingly, “It’s not like you’re going anywhere.”

Suddenly Akira jumped, “W-what?” he asked. 

Yu’s smile dimmed. He gave Akira a questioning look, “I said, you’ve still got some time in Tokyo before you head back home. You could do a little more exploring, right?”

Akira looked at Yu. He cleared his throat, pushing his glasses back up his nose, “R-right. Hopefully.”

“Hopefully?” Yu questioned.

“Yeah,” Akira insisted, “Y’know, school…” he trailed off into a mumble, “Anyway. Never mind. Um, how’s Nanako-chan?”

It wasn’t hard to notice the sharp shift in conversation. Yu paused, considering if he should press Akira any further. But, he decided to let it be, for now. Besides, he’s never miss a chance to talk about Nanako. Which was probably why Akira brought her up. “She’s doing amazing. She calls all the time. She’s going to come visit soon; it would be great if you could come too. We could all go to Junes together, just like in Inaba,” Yu winked.

“...Don’t tease me like that, senpai,” Akira said seriously.

“Hey now, you’ll really hurt Yosuke’s feelings if you talk like that.”

Akira gave him a look, “You know full well it isn’t Yosuke-senpai that scares me.”

Yu laughed, “Fine, fine. Everything  _ but  _ Junes. You’ll come, won’t you? Or will you ghost me again?”

Akira’s lips tightened, “...I’ll try,” he said.

“That’s all I can ask,” Yu responded, “So, how’s school going? You’re doing alright in your classes?”

“I guess,” Akira shrugged, “I have a friend, Makoto. She’s my senpai in school. She’s been helping me study.”

Yu nodded, “That’s good to hear. Have you thought about what you want to do in the future?”

Akira groaned, “Why are suddenly sounding like such an adult?”

“I don’t know! I just thought I’d ask!” Yu protested good-naturedly. He laughed, “I’m sorry I’m too much of an old man for you.”

Akira rolled his eyes, “It’s the hair,” he remarked, “You should dye it pink. That way people won’t think you’re so old, no matter what you say. They’ll be too distracted thinking,  _ Wow! This man has a lot of confidence!”  _ He laughed, and Yu grinned, despite the joke being at his own expense. He hadn’t heard Akira laugh that heartily in a long time. He had the laughter of an evil villain, with that deep voice of his.

“You may be right,” Yu agreed, “But you still haven’t answered my question!”

Akira let his laughter die out into a sigh. He gave the sunset a contemplative look, “Well, I don’t know that I’ve given it too much thought. But, if I’m being honest…” he paused, “...I think it would be interesting to get into politics.”

“Politics?” That answer surprised Yu, “What drew you to that?”

Akira shrugged, “With everything that happened, I guess, there’s a lot I’d like to change, if I can. Someday. I met a great man, and he’s been teaching me a lot. But, now… well, I’m not sure I’ll get the chance.”

“It would be difficult, given your record…” Yu sighed. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

Akira adjusted his glasses, “Ah, right… yeah.”

“Well, I think you could do it,” Yu sat up and clapped Akira on the back, “I think that’s a very admirable goal! Changing the world takes a lot of work, but I’ll be rooting for you. Make them see the truth.”

Akira smiled, “Thanks,” he said simply.

Yu nodded, “I’m glad school’s going well, then. I was a little worried, when I heard about Kamoshida. But then, I didn’t want to pry too much-”

“You? Pry? Never!” Akira said sarcastically.

“Quiet, you,” Yu rolled his eyes, “But now that I have you, at least… are you sure you’re doing alright? After what happened to your principal, and the Phantom Thieves-”

Akira stiffened, “You know about them?”

Yu’s smile faded. He looked at Akira inquisitively, “Who doesn’t? They’re all anyone talks about nowadays.”

“Ah… right…” Akira said carefully.

Yu raised an eyebrow, “You aren’t hiding something, are you?”

“...Why would you think that?” Akira asked.

Yu shrugged, “Well, they did come to your school. And, people are saying that they’re responsible for what happened to your principal. Paired with Okumura’s death being linked to them, and, that’s looking pretty likely.”

“Why do you say that?” Akira asked. He had an edge to his voice.

“Naoto’s been looking into it.”

Akira’s eyes widened, “Shirogane-san?”

Yu’s own narrowed, “Yeah. They asked me to help. They haven’t been able to uncover a lot, though. The police seem to be relying on that Akechi kid a lot more these days.”

Yu noticed Akira’s face tighten, “...Yeah,” he responded.

Yu frowned. There was a long pause between them. Finally, Yu asked, “What do you think, then?”

Akira looked up, “Huh?”

“About the Phantom Thieves,” Yu specified, “Are you in support of them?”

“...I don’t have an opinion,” Akira said slowly.

“Oh,” Yu said, “I see. Did you ever interact with Kamoshida, then?”

Akira quickly shook his head, “Well, he went after some of my friends, but he didn’t do much to me. I don’t play any sports, anyway.”

Yu nodded slowly, “Well, do you think that was justice? What happened to him?”

“Of course I do,” Akira said without hesitation, “He won’t hurt anyone anymore.”

Yu nodded again, “What about the other targets, then? Do you think that was just?”

“Well, yeah,” Akira responded, “Madarame was abusing his students and stealing their work. Kanashiro was threatening people’s lives for his own personal profit. Okumura was overworking his employees to the point where they completely shutdown like they were nothing more than replaceable cogs in a machine. Plus, he was going to sell out his daughter.”

“You sure know a lot for someone who doesn’t have an opinion,” Yu remarked, “I think you’re right, though. I think their goals are admirable, at least.”

“Yeah…” Akira muttered, “The Phantom Thieves are innocent.”

Yu paused, “Do you really think that?” he finally asked.

Akira froze, “You… don’t?”

Yu stared at his young friend. Akira’s eyes were wide, looking at him like a frightened child. So full of hope, but hesitant and afraid, afraid of what Yu might tell him. His hands were fidgety, and one leg was bouncing up and down. It seemed like all of his anxieties were making themselves known, and whatever Yu said next might tip that scale. No matter what questions were going through Yu’s mind at the moment, now wasn’t the time for that. Akira was looking for comfort. Some kind of confirmation that he wasn’t wrong, and Yu… really didn’t want to say anything that would make things worse. 

But... he didn’t have a good answer to give him. And as much as Yu wanted to put Akira’s mind at ease - he cared about him too much to tell him anything other than the truth. Maybe if he stuck to that, Akira would do the same.

“I’m not sure.”

Akira completely deflated.

Yu kept going, “All I can say is, I really hope not. They have an extraordinary power. And they’re acting against criminals from a moral stance. They’re taking justice into their own hands, and I think that Akechi guy was right when he said that could be dangerous.”

“Maybe they’re only acting because no one else will,” Akira pointed out, “Maybe they’re only trying to save those who can’t save themselves.”

“...But acting outside of the law means there aren’t any limits to what you can do to achieve those goals. When you have no limits, and you have enough anger boiling inside you, sometimes… you do things you aren’t proud of.”

An image of a man flashed in Yu’s head. Him collapsed on the floor, begging them to let him go. Of Yosuke and the others pointing out the tv, pointing out how easy it would be to end it all right then and there. How much Yu’s heart seethed with rage, how much he wanted to do it. He was so close. It would have been so easy.

And an innocent man would have wound up dead.

“...The Phantom Thieves don’t kill,” Akira said again, firmly this time. He balled his hands up in fists, glaring at the ground with determination.

Yu let out a light chuckle, “What is your definition of opinion, then?” he said. Akira didn’t say anything. Yu shook his head, staring at the sky, “Maybe you’re right,” he said, that night in the hospital still echoing in his mind, “Maybe they’re innocent after all. Just because all of the evidence’s stacked against you, that doesn’t make you guilty. You know that better than anyone, huh?”

Akira still didn’t speak, but his face softened a bit.

“I just pray…” Yu paused, giving Akira a long look, “They don’t do anything more stupid than they’ve already done.”

Akira glanced at Yu questioningly. Yu returned the look. Akira’s gaze relaxed, and he turned back to the ground before speaking, “Senpai, can I… ask you something?”

“Sure,” Yu said immediately. He tried to sound nonchalant, “I’m always here for you.”

Akira snorted softly, smiling, “Yeah, I know. Mom.”

Yu scoffed and shook his head, “What is it?”

Akira paused. He glanced out at the bushes, where that cat had disappeared off to. Yu followed his gaze. Akira cleared his throat, “Um, senpai…” he started. Yu looked at him. Akira continued, “Have you ever had to do something, where… everything is riding on it going exactly right. But, so much could go wrong. And, you’re not sure if… you’re not sure if you’ll be able to do it, but everyone’s counting on you, and you can’t let them down, but you’re...nervous. Nervous that you’ll screw up and lose everything.”

The boy’s eyes were hidden beneath the sheen of his glasses, the setting sun glinting off of them. His lips were pressed into a frown, his hands clenched together tightly. He wasn’t making eye contact.

Yu swallowed. He felt a pit in his stomach, the suspicion he had felt earlier rising up in his chest like steam cascading from a boiling pot of water. He mulled over his next words carefully, hoping he was wrong. He leaned forward, “Akira… please, is there something you want to talk about?”

Akira flinched and pulled back, immediately back tracking, “No, no. I’m sorry, it’s nothing. I’m fine, just thinking about a test… or something… really, I’m fine. I shouldn’t have said anything.”

Yu frowned. He sighed, turning his gaze from the boy, “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with being scared. As long as you know… you never have to face whatever it is you’re facing alone. As long as you have friends you can rely on, you can overcome any obstacle. You know that, right?”

Akira let out a breath, nodding, “...Yeah, thanks.”

“...Sure,” Yu said hesitantly, “Hey, you know you can always call me if you need to talk to someone, okay? I won’t tell Rise, unless you want me to.”

“I know,” Akira said quietly. He pushed up his glasses, “I’ll… keep that in mind.”

“Good,” Yu gave him a concerned smile.

Akira returned it, “Hey, I’m… really glad I got to see you,” he started, “Thank you, again, for everything you’ve done for me. I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t asked Sojiro to take me in. You didn’t have to do that. So… thanks. Really.”

“You’re welcome really,” Yu said easily, “I’d do it again. We’re friends, Akira.”

Akira gave a lukewarm smile. He opened his mouth to say something more, but the words seemed to stick in his throat. He finally spoke carefully, “Could you actually… tell Rise something for me?”

Yu raised an eyebrow, “You could tell her yourself, you know.”

Akira shook his head, “I know, but… she’s busy; I don’t know if I’ll get the chance. Besides, I don’t want to bother her.”

“It’s probably more of a bother to her that you  _ don’t  _ call,” Yu pointed out. Akira glanced to the side. Yu sighed, “It’s alright, I get it. What do you want to tell her?”

Akira adjusted his glasses again, eyebrows furrowed, “Um… sorry, I don’t really know how to say this… I’m not good with words…”

Yu shook his head, “It’s fine, take your time.”

Akira nodded, letting out a noise of frustration, “Tell her… um…” he sniffed, rubbing his eyes beneath his glasses, “dammit…” he said. Yu was just noticing how fogged they had become.

“Woah, hey,” Yu said, putting a hand on Akira’s shoulder, “Akira?”

The younger shrugged it off, “Sorry, I’m fine,” he choked through his words, and Yu felt a stab to his heart, “Please tell Rise, I love her. I’m sorry for never calling. I’ll do it as soon as I’m able. There’s just something I have to do, first.”

Yu’s frown deepened, but he nodded, “I’ll tell her.”

Akira returned the nod, “Thank you.”

A pause.

“You miss home?” Yu asked.

“Yeah…” he responded.

Another pause.

“Senpai, I’m scared.”

If they had been anywhere else in Shibuya, Yu might have missed those words. Three simple words, spoken so softly it was as if Yu had imagined them. But he didn’t. All sounds seemed to stop. The sun had completely disappeared off the horizon, and darkness filled the sky, but in that moment, no bug chirped, no tree creaked, no wind blew through the air. It was as if the moment had been frozen in time. A moment that seemed to last an eternity as Yu let the next two words fall out of his mouth, “...Of what?”

No answer.

The two sat on the bench, stiff and silent, Yu’s mind blank. He stared out into the distance. What could he do? So many fears ran through him that it completely short-circuited his brain. But then, he did the only thing he could think clearly of, to help ease the fears of a person he cared about. He wrapped an arm around Akira and pulled him close. At first, his young friend stiffened at the touch, but as Yu began to rub his arm the boy relaxed, leaning against his chest. And like a dam finally bursting, Akira let loose all of the emotions he had been holding in. Quiet sobs poured from his face, ugly snot and tears staining Yu’s shirt. The boy’s shoulders bobbed, his breath hitching.

“I’m here…” Yu said quietly, “You’re not alone. No matter what, you’re not alone.”

Just then, the bushes in front of them shook, and Akira’s black-and-white cat returned, its collar rattling. Akira froze at the sight of it, choking back a whimper. The cat stared at them. It gave Akira a look. Then, it hopped between them, pushing its face against Akira’s stomach. It let out a soft meow before curling into his lap. Akira was practically shaking, but he gave the cat a grateful look and ran his fingers through its fur.

Yu continued to rub Akira’s arm, whispering words of encouragement to him as the boy rested into his hold. The three of them sat there for a long while. The dark of the night only grew, the moon shining brightly in the sky. In a city like Tokyo, it was usually difficult to see the stars against the bright lights of the buildings, still buzzing and more alive than ever. But, that didn’t matter. Visible or not, you always know the stars are there. The same was true for people.

Yu hoped Akira knew that.

Whatever it was that Akira had to do, Yu prayed he wouldn’t try to do it alone.

A long while past. Akira finally told Yu he should probably be heading home, and the two of them walked together to the train station, Akira’s cat returning to his spot in the boy’s bag. They parted ways, Akira just barely catching the last train to Yongen Jaya. Yu made his way slowly to his apartment. Quite a lot of thoughts were on his mind. On his walk, he mulled over their conversation over and over in his head, a suspicion he didn’t want to acknowledge continuously floating to the forefront of his mind.

But, he really couldn’t avoid it any longer. He had promised himself a long time ago that he would never ignore the truth, and the truth here was staring him right in the face.

  
Akira was  _ definitely  _ a Phantom Thief.

**Author's Note:**

> In my docs this was called: "Ah yes, Persona: aka, two guys talking on a bench for 5,000 words"
> 
> Hope you enjoyed!


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